


Selfless Stupidity

by IveGotRedHair



Category: All Time Low
Genre: Coughing, Established Relationship, Fever, M/M, Prompt Fill, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:11:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4335146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IveGotRedHair/pseuds/IveGotRedHair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex's sick and stupid but somehow that makes Jack love him more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Selfless Stupidity

All Time Low were off tour and they were home for a bit. There was no new city every night or screaming crowds to face. It was just Jack and Alex back at their home in Baltimore. Enjoying the few weeks in their own bed and seeing old friends.   
Jack has always been the social person and it doesn’t take long for him to arrange for the both of them to meet up with some people, go eat and then maybe a football game. Alex would have loved the idea but he was beginning to feel a bit run down. It wasn’t unusual for him to get sick after getting back from tour; all the long nights and little sleep didn’t do wonders for his immune system. 

On the morning of the planned meal Alex woke up feeling pretty damn awful. He groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow. Luckily Jack wasn’t beside him and he could distinctly hear the sound of the shower running. Alex’s head was throbbing, his body ached and his stomach felt gross. He just wanted to pull the duvet over his head and sleep the day away. But Alex being Alex he wouldn’t do that, he knew Jack was looking forward to going out and he wasn’t going to disappoint him. Slowly Alex pulled himself up so he was sitting on the side of the bed, his head was swimming and his stomach protested with the movement. It was going to be a long day that was for sure.   
“Good morning ‘Lex.”  
Alex hadn’t noticed Jack enter the room and looked up to see his boyfriend stood in the doorway, hair still dripping and only a towel around his waist.   
“Morning,” Alex replied, surprised when his voice came out relatively normal despite the scratchy feeling in his throat.   
“Are you going to get ready or you going to go like that? Not that I would complain,” Jack said, looking at Alex with his bed hair and the fact he was only wearing his boxers.   
“Yeah, I’m working on it,” he replied.   
“Okay hun.”  
Jack kissed the top of Alex’s head as he walked by, going to the wardrobe to no doubt pick out the same old jeans and shirt. Alex stood up and took a few wobbly steps toward the bathroom, trying to ignore the spinning of his head and the flipping of his stomach.   
He reached the bathroom, his arms shaking as he leant against the sink, nearly all his energy gone on the short walk. He chose not to have a shower, because he didn’t think he was physically able to. Looking in the mirror he looked pale and sickly, stupid body why did it have to betray him? He felt a painful jerk in his stomach and had to kneel over the toilet but after a minute nothing came up. Taking deep breaths to calm his breathing Alex stood up again, leaning over the sink to wash his face to try and bring some of the colour back. He didn’t look much better but whatever, he had to suck it up. He’d played shows feeling worse surely he could cope with a few hours with his friends? 

Through the day Alex steadily got worse. His stomach refused to settle and he wouldn’t eat. Even watching Jack with food was enough to turn his sensitive stomach. The tickle in his throat worsened and Alex had to keep excusing himself to the bathroom as to disguise his coughing. At some point he fell asleep on the couch, a blanket over his legs until Jack came to wake him.   
“Alex, Alex, it’s time to go.”  
He groaned, opening his eyes to stare at Jack. He felt so much worse than earlier and the idea of moving from the couch just made his stomach twist more. Alex wanted to tell Jack he couldn’t go, that he felt horrible.   
“Jack...” he started.   
“What’s wrong?” the younger asked.   
“Is Evan coming?” Alex asked, he couldn’t bare the look of disappointment in Jack’s eyes when he asked what was wrong. He had to make this work, for Jack’s sake.   
“Evan miss out on free drinks? Yeah right! Are you okay though?” Jack asked.   
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” Alex said, putting on his best smile and pulling himself up.   
“Okay, let’s go.”  
Before they left Alex was able to sneak into the bathroom, swallowing a couple of pills hoping it would help him through the next couple of hours. As they left Alex grabbed his jacket, despite the warmth of the weather he felt a shiver on his skin.   
The drive to the restaurant was hell. Alex nearly threw up a total of three times, he got very close to having to ask Jack to stop the car but managed to keep himself under control. By the time they arrived Alex was a few shades paler and Jack couldn’t help noticing.   
“’Lex, are you okay? You’re not looking so hot.”  
“A bit car sick, that’s all,” Alex lied, removing his arm from where it was wrapped around his stomach.   
“Sure?” Jack asked.   
“I’m fine.”  
Alex forced a smile and Jack returned it, reaching over to take Alex’s hand and gently kissing it. Alex felt bad for lying to Jack, but Jack had missed enough fun things why being stuck at home taking care of his sick ass, for once Jack was going to have fun and Alex was going to suck it up.   
Inside the restaurant most of the group at already arrived, a mixture of band, crew and old school friends. Jack went straight in and was chatting to people, Alex hung back slightly as he could already feel the tightness in his chest and the tickle in his throat that could only mean one thing. Just as Jeff turned to say something to Alex, he covered his mouth with his sleeve and coughed harshly. Alex took a few sips of water to calm his breathing.   
He could see Jack looking at him from the corner of his eye and Alex summed up his best smile to reassure him.   
“I’m okay,” he whispered to his boyfriend.   
Jack looked unsure but nodded, turning back to the conversion he was having.   
Alex didn’t say much as people chatted around him, a few odd comments and sarcastic remarks but nothing up to his usual standard. Jack had noticed the change his boyfriend behaviour but hadn’t had the chance to ask him, every time he tried Alex began talking to somebody else. 

By the time food arrived Alex wanted to give in, he was feeling worse. He felt freezing despite the heat of the room, his coughing was getting harder and harder to stifle and his nose had begun to run. On top of that the constant noise of his friends was like a nail in his skull. He had an arm around his stomach to try and ease the pain but the smell of food was pushing it. Why everyone else ate Alex mostly just pushed his food around his plate, finally he forced himself to eat something and regretted it as soon as it he’d done it. Alex could feel the bile rising in the back of his throat and after quickly muttering excuse me he made a dash for the bathroom.   
Alex knelt over the toilet and threw up, he’d not eaten and barely drunk anything so it was mostly acid that burnt his throat and made him cough. After a good ten minutes it finally stopped and Alex was able to get up, he was shaking, lightheaded and just really wanted to collapse back onto the floor. There was no hiding it anymore, Alex felt too fucking awful he knew the game was up. He kind of wanted to cry; no matter how hard he tried he always seemed to disappoint people. Jack, the fans, all because he got sick.   
Finally Alex summed up the energy to go back to the table, having passed the mirror he knew how awful he looked. His face pale, sweat sticking his hair to his neck and a glassy look to his eyes that meant he was burning up. Alex stumbled back to his seat next to Jack, not saying anything and straight away resting his head on the younger’s shoulder.   
“You okay Alex?” Jack asked.   
He shook his head, making a small whining sound. Jack frowned and placed his wrist against Alex’s clammy forehead.   
“Christ, you’re burning up.”  
“Cold,” Alex whimpered.   
“Okay, okay, let’s get you home.”  
“I’m sorry Jack.”  
“Shh, shh, don’t talk,” Jack cooed.   
Jack explained to the others and they all wished the ill boy to feel better. Jack all but carried Alex back out the car, he was weak, shaky and feverish. The car was quiet apart from Alex’s coughs and sniffles, Jack didn’t say anything and Alex thought he knew why. Jack was probably mad at him, mad at him for lying, for always saying he was fine when in truth he needed help. Alex just rested his head against the cool window and closed his eyes.   
When Alex woke up he was in bed, his jeans having been replaced his comfy flannel pants and the duvet tucked in around him.   
“Jack?” he asked his sore voice cracking.   
“Alex, you’re awake?”   
“Either that or this is some realistic dream.”  
Jack came into Alex’s view, a small smile on his face.   
“How’re you feeling?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside him.  
“Still pretty bad but better than earlier,” Alex replied.   
“What were you thinking Alex? When we got back you were running a fever of 103!” Jack exclaimed, putting his hand to Alex’s forehead, glad to find his skin warm but no longer burning.  
“I don’t know... That maybe for once I didn’t want to disappoint you.”  
“Dis...Disappoint me? What the hell are you talking about?” Jack asked.   
Alex sighed and moved to sit up, the action making his head spin and a cough to escape his throat.   
“You were so looking forward to going out... I didn’t want to take that from you.”   
“Oh Alex...” Jack sighed.   
“I’m really sorry, I never thought I would get this bad and throwing up in a restaurant bathroom in not an experience I wish to repeat. I am sorry Jack.”  
“I know you are, I understand why you wanted do it but that doesn’t make it any less stupid. Please don’t ever do that again.”  
Jack hated seeing Alex so sick, all his colour gone and his cheeky grin missing. It hurt to see him so unlike himself, Jack just wanted to make it all better.   
“I won’t, I promise.”  
Jack smiled as Alex patted the bed beside him, inviting him in. Jack climbed under the duvet and let Alex’s over warm body cuddle into his. With Jack’s arms safely wrapped around him Alex felt better than he had all day and finally he smiled, his first real smile of the day.   
“I love that smile,” Jack whispered, placing a kiss on Alex’s nose.   
“I love you.”  
“You too, even if you are the biggest fucking idiot.”  
The truth was Alex’s act of utter stupidity had somehow made Jack love him more. Alex was willing to do anything to make people happy and his endless selflessness was something Jack loved endlessly about him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, this was a prompt by BrokenStereo13 so I hope you liked it :)   
> Now I need your help!   
> What are your favourite two of my stories? I can't pick between them and I need to send them off to a publisher!   
> Please loveies I really need your help :) xx


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